The Cincinnati Kid

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Hey, man. Hey, Cincinnati.

Come on, man. Come on, daddy.

I'm gonna get you one more time.

Come on, man.

Come on. Just one more time.

Come on, man.

Okay.

Let's see you cut that.

You're just not ready for me yet.

Don't you know it.

Just a minute.

- That's right.

- Oh, a three.

And our lucky friend from Baton Rouge

gets a big fat queen with his pair of sixes.

- Little lady make you feel happy, buster?

- Deal yourself, clown.

Dealer's flush.

Well, that broke that up.

Go ahead, bet your sixes, buster.

Told you not to call me that.

One-seventy-five.

Cost you 194 fish.

Hundred-and-ninety-four fisheroos

to you, friend.

You gonna bust everybody, or am I?

- So? What are you gonna do?

- Call.

What do you mean, call?

I think you're trying to buy it. Eights.

What, are you guys blind or something?

What do you mean, buster?

I think somebody's been

daubing these cards.

Are you crazy?

He ain't gonna put out

194 bucks on a lousy pair.

You did.

I'm saying you've been

marking these cards.

I don't need marked cards

to beat you, pal.

Stay here. I'll take care of him.

Give me the money.

Drop it.

- What's his name?

- Tricky Bob.

Here you are, Tricky.

Raleigh Hotel, please.

Thank you.

Mr. Howard, sir.

Welcome back to New Orleans.

- Two-twelve for Mr. Howard.

- Yes, sir.

Mr. Howard.

Hey, King Kiddo.

Come on, baby.

I'll spot you three balls.

- Ain't my game, Eddie.

- Hi, Kid.

Come on, Kid. We've been

holding a chair for you.

How they running, Philly?

They've been running right by me

all day, Kid.

- What's the bet?

- You stopped a couple, didn't you?

Seventeen to you, Philly.

Well, I'll give you my definitive answer

to any inquiry along those lines...

...as soon as I see Whitey's hole card.

I call.

Aces up.

I don't believe that beats

three fours, do it?

You wouldn't happen to hold...

...any markers, would you?

- Yeah.

The man holds markers

on everybody in this town.

- What you got on me, Kid?

- Got you for 110, a 60 and an 85.

I'll take the 110, the 60.

You take the 85...

...and put it back in your bank.

Thanks, Kid.

- Deal the cards.

- Hey, Philly.

Hi, Kid.

- Hi.

- Watch him, Kid. He's a mean one.

You got a new bird, huh? Gaffer?

No, no. He's a roundhead.

Now, don't get him excited.

Hello, Shooter.

- Where you been?

- Across the river.

- Do any good?

- Couple hundred bucks.

Hey, you know there was a guy in the game

who accused me of juicing the deck?

Playing with amateurs, huh?

Haven't I told you

you're gonna get your melon opened?

It was the only game I could find where

I wasn't holding markers on somebody.

- I'm thinking about going to Miami.

- You're gonna go to work in Miami?

Yeah. Yeah.

- You got a better idea?

- I don't know. It may be just a rumor.

You know how these things

get started...

...but they say that Lancey Howard

is in town.

They say Lancey Howard?

The man himself.

The Kid will have to play him.

Am I right, Kid?

You gonna play him?

Lancey Howard.

Lancey Howard take the skin

right off the Kid.

I'm giving even money on the Kid.

Fifty cents. Mark it.

Yes, Mr. Slade. Tomorrow's fine.

Couldn't be better.

I understand that stud poker

is your game.

Well, your stakes are my pleasure, sir.

Well, why don't we make it about...

...lunchtime.

That's a fine idea, Mr. Howard.

Around noon, then?

I'm right here in the hotel.

My pleasure, sir.

And do remember me kindly

to your charming wife.

Yes, I'll do that.

Mr. Howard, one thing more.

Say, l...

May I suggest we secure for

ourselves the dealing services...

...of the Shooter for

this auspicious occasion?

That's excellent.

Excellent.

All right, then.

Bye-bye.

Don't touch me.

Just a wee bit more Tabasco.

Yeah, this game's been coming

for a long time, hasn't it, Kid?

Too long.

Think so?

I told you what happened

when I played.

Yeah, I know.

He laid me out, strung me up

and then...

Kid, I mean, he gutted me.

Yeah, you told me, Shooter.

Just wait till he's looking

down your throat, that's all.

You don't think I'm ready, do you?

I don't know. You're one of

the greatest stud players I've seen.

But then again, so was Lancey Howard.

It's not gonna be like sitting

down with me and Doc Sokal.

You see, I've been where I'm going.

The way I play now?

Just percentages. Don't win much,

don't lose much.

You think you were ready

when you sat down with him?

I thought I was the best

stud-poker player in the world.

I'm telling you,

I thought I was the best.

I got something, Shooter.

You know I've got something.

Yeah, you've got something.

I know that, Kid.

But you've got to remember

that he's the man, see?

He's got an awful lot to protect.

He'll use everything in the book

and then some he's made up to kill you.

I don't want any lesson, Shooter.

I want everything he's got.

- Hi.

- Hi.

- You cold?

- No.

What happened to your coat?

I ripped it.

What'd you do today?

Oh, went to the movies.

And it was all in French.

- In French, huh?

- Yeah.

Know what they do?

They sign the words...

...in at the bottom of the picture...

...in English, so you can understand it.

- Oh, yeah?

- Yeah.

- Oh, it wasn't in French?

- What?

- What was the movie about?

It was about this town in Europe,

and they get this message...

Well, was it in French,

Spanish or English?

- What?

- The message.

- Do you wanna hear this?

- Yeah. Go ahead.

Well, this Spanish general had sent

the message that he's coming...

...to spend the night with his army.

Now, the men in the town

are scared silly...

...so the wives and the daughters

tell them not to worry...

...and go away and hide someplace

and let them bargain with them. You see?

Who?

Well, the ladies...

...with the Spanish army.

I won't tell it anymore.

- Go ahead.

- No, I won't tell it. No.

- Well, just tell me what happened.

- No. No.

You won't believe this.

But the women get together

and have this big party...

...and they all go to bed

with the Spanish army.

Oh, yeah?

Anyway, come morning...

...the soldiers go off,

and everybody's happy.

Yeah, and the husbands are happy.

Yeah, husbands, fathers, everybody.

Seems they...

Seems they cared more about their lives

than they did about their honor.

That seem right to you?

Yeah.

Well, how come?

Well, because that makes sense.

- That's why.

- It doesn't make sense.

The point is that what good is

honor if you're dead?

Hey, what the hell are you going

to Frenchy movies for, anyway?

Shooter's wife wanted to go.

- Melba?

- Melba.

- Since when are you hanging with Melba?

- Since that game in Corpus.

- Melba.

- I know.

You don't want me to go out with Melba?

Hey...

...I don't care what you do.

Well, you should.

I happen to like Melba.

Melba...

...why do you do that?

So it will fit, stupid.

No, I'm not talking about that.

What I'm asking is...

Do you have to cheat at everything?

At everything?

Yes, at...

...solitaire.

I've yet to see you play solitaire

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